Frankfurt Motor Show 2005 - Chrysler

What's the star of the stand?
Taking centre stage is the new 300C executive car, which is due to go on sale in the UK next month. Available with a 3.5-litre petrol, 3.0 diesel or a rapid 5.7-litre petrol V8 engine, the executive saloon is going head-to-head in the same market as Audi, BMW Mercedes Benz.

The two petrol versions arrive this year, with the diesel following in January 2006 – then the fire-breathing 6.1-litre 300C SRT, which has finally been confirmed as a right-hand-drive model in March. Developing 425bhp, the super-saloon will carry a sub-£40,000 price tag.

Chrysler has finally taken the decision to put the 300C estate into right-hand drive production. The car has been on sale in Europe for some months now and Chrysler has been promising the UK market an estate, but prices are yet to be announced.

They say
'We don’t see the Chrysler 300C competing directly with the big German brands – after all, at under £26,000, we are nearly a third cheaper than these saloons!'

We say
The 300C is certainly distinctive and offers a lot of bangs for your buck – especially in 6.1-litre V8 spec.

Anything else?
The face-lifted PT cruiser makes its show debut in both five-door and convertible guises. Both the exterior and interior have had a makeover in order to enhance the retro styling. There’s a new diesel engine to sit along side the 2.4 petrol engine that will be kept from the current car.

Any gossip?
There are no plans to bring the Chrysler Sebring into the UK as a right-hand drive, but Chrysler insiders hint that this might not always be the case. They don’t believe it’s economical to change the current car to RHD specification but when the new version arrives in 2007, this could certainly change.